Political chess moves.

Yesterday saw two diametrically opposed chess moves in the great game preceding this year's Federal election.
Kevin Rudd got grudging approval to overturn the ALP'S " No new Uranium mines " policy and negotiate sales to other countries. This was vehemently opposed by the party's left wing but they found themselves between a rock and a hard place. To hand Rudd a defeat would badly dent his credibility. Faced with the best chance of forming government in twelve years this faction caved in. Face was partially saved by a promise to apply stringent safeguards to the use of the mineral - whatever that means !
On the other side of the political divide John Howard announced that to combat global warming the government would proceed to put in place nuclear power stations.
It was a mischievous move - leaving Kevin Rudd with a decision to endorse uranium mining and sell the product to others - but at the same time deny it's use in this country.
Howard is aware that over sixty percent of voters oppose an Australian nuclear industry - but an even greater percentage believe we face peril from global warming - and want something done to lower Co2 emissions.
The debate will go from there, but there is no escaping the fact that all the alternatives touted by the left - solar, wind and wave action - are incapable of handling the base load - and will be for many decades to come. There simply is no alternative to coal fired power stations - or nuclear. It is obvious that this will be the message the government will use in the run-up to the election.
There will be many twists and turns, but it should be remembered that John Howard once won an unwinnable election when he presented the voters with what most pundits considered anathema to victory - the introduction of a new tax !
Most now grudgingly accept the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) and even Labor now concedes that it is here to stay. The lynch pin of the coming election could well be global warming. Stay with coal fired electricity generation and watch the planet burn - or bite the bullet and go nuclear !